Peter Stuyvesant, the Last Dutch Governor of New Amsterdam eBook

“is contrary to the granted privilege
of the Netherland government and odious to every
free-born man; and especially so to those whom
God has placed in a free state in newly-settled
lands, who are entitled to claim laws not transcending,
but resembling as near as possible those of the
Netherlands.”

There were several minor offences enumerated to which
we need not here refer. The memorial was drawn
up by an Englishman, George Baxter. The imperious
Stuyvesant was greatly annoyed by this document.
To weaken its effect, he declared that the delegates
had no authority to act or even to meet upon such
questions. He endeavored to rouse national prejudice
against the document by saying:

“The most ancient colony of Manhattan,
the colonies of Rensselaerswyck and Staten Island
and the settlements at Beaverswyck and on the
South river are too prudent to subscribe to all
that has been projected by an Englishman; as
if among the Netherlands’ nation there is no
one sagacious and expert enough to draw up a
remonstrance to the Director and council.”

CHAPTER VIII.

ANOTHER INDIAN WAR.

Conflict Between the Governor and the
Citizens.—­Energy of the Governor.—­His
Measures of Defence.—­Action of the English
Colonies.—­Claims of the Government of Sweden.—­Fort
Casimir captured by the Swedes.—­Retaliation.—­Measures
for the recapture of Fort Casimir.—­Shooting
a Squaw.—­Its Consequences.—­The
Ransom of Prisoners.—­Complaints of the
Swedish Governor.—­Expedition from Sweden.—­Its
Fate.

There was a brief but bitter controversy between the
governor and the convention, when the governor ordered
the body to disperse, “on pain of our highest
displeasure.” “We derive our authority,”
said he, “from God, and from the Company, not
from a few ignorant subjects. And we alone can
call the inhabitants together.” These decisive
measures did not stifle the popular voice. Petitions
were sent to the Company in Holland, full of complaints
against the administration of Stuyvesant, and imploring
its intervention to secure the redress of the grievances
which were enumerated.

An able man, Francois le Bleuw, was sent to Holland
with these documents, with instructions to do everything
in his power to procure the reforms they urged.
Though the citizens of New Amsterdam had, for a year,
enjoyed a limited municipal government, they were by
no means satisfied with what they had thus far attained.
What they claimed, and reasonably claimed, were the
larger franchises enjoyed by the cities in the fatherland.

The condition of New Netherland, at the commencement
of the year 1654, was very precarious. The troubled
times, as is ever the case, had called out swarms
of pirates and robbers, who infested the shores of
Long Island, inflicting the most cruel excesses upon
the unprotected inhabitants. The English residents
in the Dutch colonies were numerous, and they were
ripe for revolt. The Dutch themselves were uttering
loud murmurs. The governor acted with his accustomed
energy. Several vessels were fitted out to act
against the pirates. Many of these pirates professed
to be privateersmen, serving the Commonwealth of England.
It was suspected that the English residents were communicating
with the freebooters, who were chiefly their own countrymen.